Grassmaster: World Cup 2018 Round-Up

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GRASSMASTER: WORLD CUP 2018 ROUND-UP

Images: The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Local Organizing Committee

here is no greater stage in football than the World Cup -

T and a competition of such magnitude means that only the best is required, which is exactly what was delivered when it came to the pitches in Volgograd, Kazan and Nizhny

Novgorod. GrassMaster Solutions, the hybrid grass division of Tarkett Sports - a worldwide leader of innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions - was the team behind the high-end pitches at three of the World Cup stadiums in Russia. Having successfully provided exceptional pitches at the last two World Cups - Brazil in 2014 and South Africa in 2010 - the pioneer of hybrid grass was enlisted again to ensure the standards were met in Russia. The GrassMaster pitches for the World Cup are composed of 100% natural grass reinforced with unique, synthetic fibres, which are meticulously installed on the sub-base. These fibres - high performance polypropylene monofilament fibres (HPF) - are produced in-house using a patented method. These fibres are injected 18cm deep in a grid of approximately 2cm x 2cm to provide vertical reinforcement throughout the pitch. The fibres protrude 1.5cm- 2cm above the root zone surface, with 20 million HPF fibres reinforcing the pitch. The GrassMaster HPF fibres perform three primary functions on the pitch; offering stability to a sand-based structure, providing an anchor which the grass roots can entwine around and, finally, maintain the stability and uniformity required, even when extensively played on. Such is the sophistication of the hybrid grass technology, GrassMaster pitches have laying characteristics of natural grass, with no divots or isolated spots allowed to occur. At the World Cup, GrassMaster technology was certainly tested to the limit, with 16 games in total played on the company’s pitches at Volgograd Arena, Kazan Arena and Nizhny Novgorod Stadium - all of

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which had a new, pitch installed. GrassMaster’s Russian partner, InSport Pro Co, installed the hybrid grass pitch at the Kazan Arena and was responsible for the maintenance, too. The venue hosted six games at the World Cup in total, including eventual winners France, which faced Australia in its first game. Belgium faced Brazil in a memorable quarter final on the impressive pitch, too. Meanwhile, at Volgograd Arena, four games were played on the GrassMaster pitch, including England’s opening clash with Tunisia. Nizhny Novgorod Stadium hosted its first game on the same date - Sweden v South Korea - with more group stage games, a round of 16 tie and a quarter final also played at the ground. In total, there were six games being played in three weeks at the Kazan Arena, four matches at Volgograd Arena in 10

days, and six matches in two and a half weeks at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, proving that GrassMaster is ideal for top-level tournaments. GrassMaster’s installation partner for the Volgograd Arena and Nizny Novgorod Stadium was Golftechnology. Furthermore, Charles Henderson of PSD/Labosport Group acted as a pitch consultant. Maintenance is key for the continued quality of the pitches - particularly when games are played in quick succession like the World Cup. Maintenance programmes vary depending on the venue, such as enclosed sports stadiums and open training grounds. Many factors determine the maintenance management programme that the grounds manager will follow, including natural light availability, air movement, local climatic conditions, site specific microclimate, frequency and type of use.

Above: The GrassMaster team was responsible for high-end pitches at three of the World Cup stadiums.

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Every GrassMaster installation includes a Pitch Monitoring package to make sure that the stadiums have the knowledge required to get the best performance from the new hybrid pitch. Generally, the Pitch Monitoring package includes several days of on-site follow-up, training and advice for the grounds team by a GrassMaster Solutions hybrid pitch consultant, from installation through the following 12 months. As well as the three official World Cup venues, GrassMaster provided the pitch at Arena CSKA, which was used by the Germany national team for training. The training pitch at Rubin Kazan was used throughout the tournament for training by the Japan side, too.

Andrey Kanunnikov, Managing Director of InSport Pro Co received good feedback from the teams on the pitches: “Both the German and Japanese teams recently visited their training grounds and were satisfied with the pitches we’ve prepared for them.” GrassMaster can look back on the World Cup in Russia as a huge success - highlighting exactly what its technology can deliver and the hugely positive impact it has on the world stage. With a lifespan of up to 15 years, the GrassMaster pitches will leave a legacy for the Russian teams, communities and for the venues.

Above: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

BRAND: GrassMaster | WEBSITE: grassmastersolutions.com

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